This figure is a huge increase from 2023, when only 30% of Hollywood films were led by women, and the figure has almost doubled since 2007, when tracking first began. Additionally, the top film of the year, Disney’s Inside Out 2, was female led, by Amy Poelher as the voice of Joy.
The studio to release the most female led films was Universal, with movies like Thelma, The Substance and Wicked. In fact, 66% of their films had a female lead.
This figure is particularly poignant at a time when the Trump administration is escalating its drive against diversity and inclusion, with several major companies shutting down or minimising their DEI departments. PBS recently closed its DEI office, and Disney has been seen to step back from some of their efforts.
However, there is still a long way to go for Hollywood. Just 25 of the top 100 films released last year featured leads from ethnic minority groups. Additionally, just 8 films had a female lead over the age of 45, compared to 21 films with an older male lead. Throughout all the films released in 2024, the number of male characters aged 50 or older was more than double the number of female characters of the same age.
Nevertheless it is important the recognise the milestone that was reached last year, and the promise that this shows for films being produced in the coming years, as hopefully representation in movies will continue to increase.